If those who offend others have experienced a lot of pain in their lives, do you think they would be more open to accepting the offended person’s overture of forgiving than, say, others who have rarely experienced pain in their lives?
Yes, you are making a good point, particularly if the people are aware of the pain and its effects on them. In some cases, people who have experienced much pain are unaware of it and can end up displacing the anger onto others. Once the psychological defense of denial becomes conscious, it is usually less likely that they will continue the hurtful displacement of their anger onto others. Their past pain from others may make them more sensitive to the pain in others, including those whom they may have hurt.
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